Project Engineer

The Mennel Milling Company; Newton (NC); On-site; USD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Job summary

The Mennel Milling Company in Newton, NC, is seeking a Project Engineer to develop and execute manufacturing plant projects across flour milling, bakery mix, packaging, and utilities. You’ll manage projects from concept to startup, including scope, budgeting, scheduling, procurement, installation, commissioning, and closeout, while supporting operations and maintenance.

Collaborate with operations, maintenance, quality, R&D, and vendors to improve safety, reliability, and food safety.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, chemical, industrial, agricultural engineering, or related discipline.
• 5–10 years of experience in a continuous manufacturing environment, food manufacturing preferred.
• Demonstrated skills in managing multiple projects.
• Knowledge of manufacturing processes including flour milling, bulk material handling, ingredient handling, mixing systems, packaging equipment, utilities, facility infrastructure, and industrial construction.
• Thorough understanding of GMPs and food safety; experience with EPA and OSHA regulations.
• Knowledge of AutoCAD and Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience managing capital projects from concept through startup.

Responsibilities

• Lead capital projects from concept through startup, including scope development, budgeting, scheduling, procurement, contractor management, installation, commissioning, and project closeout.
• Provide engineering support for flour milling, bakery mix processing, ingredient handling, batching, mixing, packaging, warehouse operations, utilities, facility infrastructure, and material handling systems.
• Coordinate contractors, vendors, engineering firms, and plant personnel during project execution.
• Provide technical support to operations and maintenance by troubleshooting equipment and implementing improvements that enhance safety, reliability, food safety, quality, productivity, and operating costs.

Skills

Project management

Mechanical aptitude

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering

Engineering discipline related

Tools

AutoCAD

Microsoft Office

Job description

Reports To: Refer to location organizational chart

At Mennel, we believe in doing right and bringing our best to our people who are helping to feed the world. We promote teamwork and recognize the individual contributions everyone plays in the overall success of the company.

JOB SUMMARY:

In this role, you will help sustain Mennel’s tradition of excellence established in 1886 as well as support our food safety programs and mission to reliably deliver superior quality, uniformity, and service. The Project Engineer is responsible for developing and executing manufacturing plant projects across the Newton facility, including flour milling, bakery mix manufacturing, packaging, utilities, warehouse operations, and facility infrastructure. This role manages projects from concept through startup, including scope development, budgeting, scheduling, procurement, installation, commissioning, and project closeout. In addition to capital project execution, the Project Engineer provides day-to-day technical support to operations and maintenance by identifying opportunities to improve safety, reliability, productivity, food safety, and quality. The role partners closely with operations, maintenance, quality, R&D, corporate engineering, vendors, and contractors to support overall plant performance. This position will sustain the Mission and Motto and Food Safety and Quality Statement of The Mennel Milling Company.

PRIMARY WORK SHIFT:

Works shift as assigned and overtime as required.

Monday through Friday7:30AM- 4:30PM. Will vary, depending on workload

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without accommodation.

• Follow all food safety, GMP, OSHA, HACCP, FSMA, sanitation, and environmental policies while maintaining an audit-ready facility.
• Lead capital projects from concept through startup, including scope development, budgeting, scheduling, procurement, contractor management, installation, commissioning, and project closeout.
• Manage multiple capital and continuous improvement projects simultaneously.
• Provide engineering support for flour milling, bakery mix processing, ingredient handling, batching, mixing, packaging, warehouse operations, utilities, facility infrastructure, and material handling systems.
• Develop project scopes, equipment specifications, layouts, cost estimates, bid packages, schedules, and purchase requisitions.
• Coordinate contractors, vendors, engineering firms, and plant personnel during project execution.
• Provide technical support to operations and maintenance by troubleshooting equipment and implementing improvements that enhance safety, reliability, food safety, quality, productivity, and operating costs.
• Support annual capital planning, facility expansion, equipment replacement, utility upgrades, and long-term infrastructure planning.
• Ensure all projects comply with corporate engineering standards, OSHA requirements, food safety standards, and applicable building codes.
• Maintain project documentation, including drawings, specifications, schedules, budgets, RFQs, purchase orders, and contractor coordination.
• Maintain strong working relationships with Operations, Maintenance, Quality, R&D, Purchasing, Finance, and Corporate Engineering.
• Provide regular project updates to plant and corporate leadership.
• Other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Coordinate outside contractors, engineering firms, equipment suppliers, and vendors.
• Provide project leadership to plant maintenance and operations personnel during project execution.
• Does not have direct reports.

QUALIFICATIONS:

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required to perform this job.

• Bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or a related engineering discipline preferred.
• Minimum of 5-10 years of experience in a continuous manufacturing environment. Food manufacturing experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated skills in managing multiple projects.
• Must have a working knowledge of manufacturing processes including flour milling, bulk material handling, ingredient handling, mixing systems, packaging equipment, utilities, facility infrastructure, and industrial construction.
• Thorough understanding of food manufacturing regulatory requirements (GMP’s, food safety, etc.). Experience working with EPA and OSHA regulations.
• Knowledge of AutoCAD and Microsoft Office applications.
• Experience managing capital projects from concept through startup

LANGUAGE SKILLS:

Ability to read and comprehend simple instructions, short correspondence, memos, procedures, and plans. Ability to write, complete checklists and other basic documentation and correspondence. Ability to effectively present information or data in one-on-one and small group situations to co-workers, supervisors, and managers.

MATHEMATICAL SKILLS:

Ability to add, subtract, multiply, and divide in all units of measure, using whole numbers, common fractions, and decimals.

REASONING ABILITY:

Must use solid judgment when making decisions. Must have ability to quickly recognize and plan for changing work duties and events.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to stand; walk; use hands to perform maintenance tasks, reach with hands and arms; climb or balance; stoop, kneel, twist, crouch, or crawl, and talk or hear. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds or more. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly exposed to conditions that are typical to a fast- paced manufacturing environment, including: moving equipment and machinery, dusty, hot/humid, and cold conditions; employee must be willing to work in all weather conditions, at heights, and in the presence of airborne particles. The noise level in the work environment usually requires the use of hearing protection. Work involves exposure to common wheat allergens.